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LUXEMBOURG, NEW YORK, and UBERLANDIA, Brazil, Aug. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sodrugestvo Group S. A. (Sodrugestvo) has announced the integration of all its Brazilian operations into one new entity named Alianca Agricola do Cerrado S.A. (Alianca).

Sodrugestvo owns 61 percent of the company, and CAROL – Cooperativa dos Agricultores da Regiao de OrlAndia – 39 percent. The new company will focus on its main strengths including the origination of soybeans in the cerrado region of Brazil for Sodrugestvo's crushing operations around the globe, the production and distribution of soybean meal and soybean oil for the local market and logistics and storage services.

After two years of operations, Sodrugestvo has become the largest soybean processor in Sao Paulo State; it plans to increase capacity in the near future. It is also one of the largest owners and operators of grain storage facilities in the country with over one million tons of static capacity available in the States of Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais and Goias.

All Sodrugestvo Brazilian and Latin American operations will operate from the new regional headquarters recently opened in UberlAndia (Minas Gerais), where Sodrugestvo already employs 80 people.

"We are extremely happy to welcome a global enterprise the size of Sodrugestvo to UberlAndia, where it has decided to install its Latin American operations," said Odelmo Leao, mayor of Uberlandia. "This is a strong sign for our city and for Brazilian agriculture to receive such a company and the investments it has made, is making and will continue to be making in our country."

"There are very few places where we have been welcomed and treated as warmly as we have been in UberlAndia," said Stephane Frappat, CEO, Sodrugestvo Group.  "We are dedicated to offering the best products and services to the Brazilian market. Equally important, Alianca is committed to creating a mutually beneficial alliance and respectful relationship with Brazilian farmers. We know we can only succeed by developing a harmonious relationship with all our partners – especially the growers – in the region."

About Sodrugestvo Group

Sodrugestvo Group (www.sodrugestvo.com), founded in 1994, is a rapidly growing agro-industrial company serving global markets. The company is vertically integrated with three business units - specialized infrastructure (including deep-water sea ports), logistics (including railcars and storage facilities) and processing facilities (for the production of proteins and oils from vegetal and animal commodities). In the past year, Sodrugestvo crushed more than 1.4 million tons of soybeans and rapeseed, making it a leading player in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe, and traded over 3 million tons of agricultural commodities. The company is also expanding into commodities trading and direct origination capabilities.

Headquartered in Luxembourg, the company has facilities in a dozen countries including Russia, Ukraine, Denmark, Brazil, United States, Switzerland and several Eastern European nations. With consolidated sales of over $1.8 billion in its fiscal year ending June 30, 2012, Sodrugestvo has enjoyed average annual growth of 20 percent or more for the last 10 years. Sodrugestvo employs 1,750 and is privately held.

This release is available online in the Feintuch Communications media room located at www.feintuchcommunications.com/sodru.

SOURCE Sodrugestvo Group S. A.